ITG Finishes RFID Fix-Up at Vancouver, Wash., Library
08 January, 2008
category: RFID
The Three Creeks Community Library today announced the completion of its new RFID system.
It’s the first branch in the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District (in Vancouver, Washington), to receive an RFID makeover.
The new system was installed by the Integrated Technology Group, a division of Vernon Library Supplies, Inc. Twelve more libraries within the district are schedule to install RFID systems.
“We chose to install Apex RFID technology to decrease the amount of time our staff spends on repetitive tasks, such as checking out customers and checking in books,” said Kwang Kye, technology director for the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District, in a press release.
Integrated Technology Group Completes RFID Installation at Fort Vancouver Regional Library District
NORCROSS, Ga., Jan 08, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) – The Three Creeks Community Library is the first branch in the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District to receive the latest radio frequency identification technology (RFID). The new system was installed by the Integrated Technology Group (ITG: 49.45, +1.46, +3.04%), a division of Vernon Library Supplies, Inc. Twelve more libraries within the district are schedule to install RFID systems.
The Apex RFID system was sold to Fort Vancouver Regional Library District through ITG’s partnership with SirsiDynix. “With 13 libraries, three bookmobiles and a growing collection of more than 750,000 items, Fort Vancouver Regional Library District is expanding at a dynamic rate,” said David Tuttle, SirsiDynix senior market consultant: RFID & Patron Self Service. “With circulation increasing annually, the ITG RFID, self-checkout and automated materials handling solution is a perfect fit, liberating library staff to attend to their most important duty – satisfying the needs of their patrons.”
Ken Evans, ITG’s vice president of sales and support, commented, “With a library system as large as Fort Vancouver, RFID and automated materials handling is a must. With libraries getting no additional budget for staff, it only makes sense to find ways to alleviate bottlenecks and save labor.”
Materials at the Three Creeks Community Library now have a high-frequency RFID chip that helps to streamline the checkout process, reduce waiting times, improve cataloguing procedures and increase the security of materials.
The Apex XpressCheck(TM: 104.47, +0.53, +0.50%) patron self-service kiosks are successfully reducing the amount of time patrons have to wait in check-out lines. The real-time check in with the Vista Book Drop(TM: 104.47, +0.53, +0.50%) keeps patrons from waiting for staff members to check items back in before they can check out new items. After items are dropped off, they are sorted using an advanced automated materials handling system, which has shortened the amount of time it takes to reshelf items. Items are also more secure now with the patent-pending Apex AV Xpress(TM: 104.47, +0.53, +0.50%) security case unlocking system. The locking cases help prevent theft of multimedia materials while RFID tags alert library staff members if a patron leaves with an item improperly checked out.
“We chose to install Apex RFID technology to decrease the amount of time our staff spends on repetitive tasks, such as checking out customers and checking in books,” said Kwang Kye, technology director for the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District. “Our goal was to make all of our processes more efficient to increase the amount of time our staff members have to spend on customer service.”
About Integrated Technology Group
Integrated Technology Group (www.integratedtek.com) develops, markets, and supports library automation technologies that empower librarians to make operations more efficient and better serve their patrons. ITG’s products include patron self-checkout, automated materials handling systems (AMH) and radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. With over 30 years experience in the library industry, ITG combines smart technology and progressive design to create standard solutions that can be easily customized to meet site-specific requirements. ITG, a division of Vernon Library Supplies, Inc., is headquartered in Norcross, Georgia.
About Fort Vancouver Regional Library District
Fort Vancouver Regional Library District is headquartered in Vancouver in Southwest Washington state, and was established in 1950 as the first inter-county rural library district in the state. With 13 libraries, three bookmobiles, a Vancouver operations center, and dial-up and Internet access to electronic services, Fort Vancouver Regional Library District provides information resources and services, and community and cultural events for a population of more than 400,000 residents. The service area is more than 4,200 square miles and includes farm, open range and national forest lands, communities along the Columbia River, small towns and expanding urban and industrial areas.
